Two teams order the same branded fleece in the same colour. One crew lives in theirs all winter; the other quietly leaves them in the van. The garment was not the problem — the fabric weight was.
Quick answer: Fleece is graded by fabric weight in grams per square metre (gsm). Microfleece sits at roughly 180–220gsm and suits indoor teams and layering. Mid-weight fleece at 250–300gsm is the all-rounder most UK workforces should choose. Heavyweight fleece at 300gsm and above is for cold sites and winter shifts. For embroidery, mid and heavyweight fleeces give the crispest logo; microfleece needs a backing to stop fine detail sinking into the pile.
What gsm actually measures
Gsm is simply how much a square metre of the fabric weighs. It is a proxy for density and warmth, not a guarantee of either — a well-constructed 240gsm fleece can outperform a cheap 300gsm one — but within a sensible quality range it is the most reliable single number you have when comparing garments on a spec sheet.
What gsm does not tell you is windproofing. Fleece traps warm air in its pile, and wind strips that air straight out again. This is why a heavyweight fleece can feel colder on an exposed site than a mid-weight fleece worn under a shell. Weight buys you warmth; only an outer layer buys you protection from wind and rain.
The fleece weights, and who each one suits
Microfleece — around 180–220gsm
Thin, light and quick-drying. Microfleece is the weight to choose for teams who work indoors in a heated building, for anyone who needs a layer that can be worn all day without overheating, and for wearing underneath a softshell or hi-vis jacket. It packs down small, which matters for staff who carry kit between sites.
The trade-off is durability. A light pile shows wear sooner on high-friction areas — shoulders where a bag strap sits, cuffs, the seat of the garment for anyone who drives a lot. For a uniform that needs to survive three years of daily use, microfleece is usually the wrong call.
Mid-weight fleece — around 250–300gsm
This is the default, and for good reason. A 280gsm or 300gsm fleece is warm enough for outdoor work through a British autumn and spring, still comfortable indoors, and heavy enough to take daily wear without looking tired by month three. If you are buying one fleece weight for a mixed team doing mixed work, buy this one.
It is also the weight most stock ranges carry in the deepest size and colour options, which matters more than people expect when you are trying to kit out thirty people including the two who need a 4XL.
Heavyweight and anti-pill fleece — 300gsm and above
For yard work, cold stores, outdoor winter shifts and anyone standing still in the cold rather than moving about in it. At this weight the fabric has real bulk, so check the fit allows movement over a base layer without the sleeves riding up.
Look specifically for an anti-pill finish at this weight. Pilling — the small bobbles that form where fabric rubs against itself — is what makes a two-year-old fleece look like a five-year-old fleece. An anti-pill treatment will not stop it forever, but it markedly slows it, and on a uniform that carries your logo, appearance is the whole point.
Sherpa, borg and bonded fleece
Worth knowing about even if they are not usually the practical choice for workwear. Sherpa and borg fleeces have a deep, curly pile and read as casual rather than professional — good for hospitality front-of-house with the right styling, awkward on a construction site. Bonded fleece laminates a fleece inner to a woven outer, which adds wind resistance and pushes the garment closer to being a softshell than a fleece. If wind is your real problem, a branded softshell jacket is usually the more honest answer than a heavier fleece.
Which fleece weight takes a logo best
Embroidery needs something to stitch into. On a mid or heavyweight fleece the pile is dense enough to support the thread, so edges stay sharp and small text stays legible. That is why most embroidered work fleeces sit in the 280–320gsm range.
On microfleece, the pile is short and springy, and fine detail can sink into it or distort. It is entirely workable — it just needs a stabiliser behind the stitch area, which is a setup decision rather than a problem. Where it genuinely becomes a problem is a logo with hairline strokes, very small lettering, or tight gaps between elements. In those cases the usual fixes are to size the logo up, simplify the fine detail for the embroidered version, or move to an applied badge.
Three practical notes for any weight:
- Placement. Left chest is standard and safest. Avoid stitching across a zip, a seam or a pocket edge, because the change in thickness pulls the design out of shape.
- Thread against pile. A dark logo on a dark fleece can disappear at arm's length. Ask for a contrasting outline if you want the logo readable across a car park.
- Set up once. A logo digitised for fleece is kept on file, so a reorder in eighteen months stitches identically to the first batch rather than drifting.
The specs that matter as much as weight
Once you have the weight right, these are what separate a fleece your team wears from one they do not:
- Pockets that actually close. Zipped side pockets are worth insisting on for anyone who bends, kneels or climbs.
- Cuffs and hem. Elasticated or adjustable cuffs keep draughts out; a drawcord hem does the same at the bottom. Open cuffs on a heavyweight fleece waste much of the warmth you paid for.
- Full-zip, quarter-zip or bodywarmer. Full-zip is easiest to layer and to take off without disturbing a cap or headset. Quarter-zip looks smarter and is warmer round the neck. A bodywarmer keeps the core warm while leaving arms free, which suits drivers and anyone handling stock.
- Size range and cut. Check women's fit is offered, not just a small men's size relabelled, and confirm the range runs far enough at both ends before you commit to a garment for a whole team.
Choosing in under a minute
- Indoors, heated, worn all day → microfleece, 180–220gsm.
- Mixed indoor and outdoor, year-round → mid-weight, 280–300gsm. This is the safe default.
- Outdoors through winter, mostly stationary → heavyweight 300gsm-plus, anti-pill, with a shell over it.
- Wind and rain are the real issue → stop buying fleece weight and buy an outer layer instead.
- Not sure how fleece compares to the alternatives → our guide to fleeces, softshells and bodywarmers sets them side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Is a higher gsm always warmer?
Broadly yes, within the same fabric type and build quality — but warmth in real conditions depends just as much on wind protection and on what is worn underneath. A 300gsm fleece under a windproof shell will beat a 400gsm fleece on its own in an exposed yard.
What gsm fleece do most UK companies order for staff uniform?
Mid-weight, typically 280–300gsm. It covers the widest range of conditions, carries embroidery well and is the weight with the best stock availability across sizes and colours.
Will a heavier fleece cost significantly more to embroider?
No. Embroidery is priced on stitch count and quantity, not fabric weight. A heavier garment costs more as a garment, but decorating it costs the same as decorating a light one.
How do I stop branded fleeces pilling and fading?
Buy anti-pill at the heavier weights, then wash at 30°C inside out, with no fabric conditioner and no tumble drying. Conditioner flattens the pile and heat is what damages stitching. There is more detail in our guide to washing embroidered and printed workwear.
Getting the right fleece for your team
If you tell us what the team actually does — indoors or out, moving or stationary, all year or winter only — we will point you at the right weight rather than the most expensive one. There is no minimum order, you get a free digital proof before anything is stitched, and orders are typically dispatched 7–14 working days after you approve that proof.
See the full range of branded fleece jackets, browse custom branded workwear and corporate uniforms, or request a quote and we will come back to you within one working day.
